For many students, reading books is one of their favorite activities, an ideal leisure option, and a way to “pump up” erudition. But is it possible to absorb two or more works at the same time? Will such a technique cause harm? In this article, we will tell you what are the pros and cons of simultaneous reading of two or more books and how to improve this technique. Reading several books at the same time helps to save a lot of time. As a student, I decided to pay someone to write my paper, so I could have more time for other study activities.
Reading several books at the same time
The pace of modern life dictates the conditions under which you need to be able to quickly switch from one type of activity to another. Therefore, the skill of reading several books at once in our dynamic world is very useful and promising. The human brain can assimilate several objects for study at once – remember a school or university where about ten or more disciplines are taught at once.
Parallel reading has its advantages and disadvantages
Pros:
- memory training;
- refocusing attention from one object to another;
- activation of neural connections of the brain;
- the fascination of the process, contributing to the expansion of horizons and erudition;
- improving the quality of speech and vocabulary replenishment.
Cons:
- the risk of getting confused in the plots and the characters;
- difficulties when switching from one plot to another;
- time search;
- reducing the speed of information processing;
- depletion of cognitive abilities.
Rules for the technique of reading several books
Start reading on different days. There is no need to take up several books at once, it is much more effective to gradually include a second, then a third, etc. in the routine – the amount depends on your desire and capabilities. You will have to reduce the time for reading literature because the amount of information for “digestion” in your brain will increase significantly. Over time, you will learn to switch from one book to another much faster.
Sort by genre. Separate books into Catagories: light reading, documentaries, intellectual, philosophical, or religious treatises – create your personal library and sort genres.
Place books everywhere — at home on the table, on the bedside table, in a bag/backpack. Get the one that suits your mood. For convenience, you can use electronic media. This option is preferable for trips by train or bus on the way to work and home — you can switch from one genre to another at the touch of a button.
Variety of genres. Balanced “food” benefits your brain. For example, combine fiction with classics.
During the day, give preference to the scientific genre, before going to bed — historical.
Tip: it’s better to take a quiet reading at night, so as not to excite your mind and imagination with a detective story or a bloody thriller.
The contrast of genres. Choose authors whose works you were not familiar with before. This approach will “reboot” your brain and activate neural connections. Gradually add new literature to the list of the old ones.
Mood. Reading should not be torture, so choose literature according to your mood. For example, the books of Dostoevsky or Sartre will aggravate the melancholy and lower the mood after a hard day’s work. At such moments, give preference to a lighter genre, for example, a romance novel. Listen to your inner needs and intuition, what your needs are directed at the moment. For example, after a boring and monotonous activity, you want to read something intellectual that you can think about to bring some excitement to your brain.
Choose different book formats. Paper, audiobook, electronic – this is a great workout for the brain. So each storyline will be absorbed much faster.
Read in different places. For example, you take one book for a lunch break at work, another at home for an evening reading, and a third while walking in the park.
The main thing is to create a border between each plot so that there is no confusion of different information in the head. It is much more effective for the brain to work when the selected genres are not repeated. We categorically do not recommend choosing something that does not spark your interest, because reading should be fun. You do not need to take “complex” books to make an effort on yourself — this will only lead to disgust, and most likely you will throw away the very idea of parallel reading.
Make a list of the literature that you want to read, and set a time frame for yourself to read. The optimal number of books should be from 2 to 5. For example:
Fiction: the classics “The Brothers Karamazov” by F. Dostoevsky, the horrors of “It” by Stephen King.
Travel essay: “One-story America” by Ilf and Petrov.
Popular science literature: “To reach the heavens. A scientific view of the structure of the universe” by Lisa Randall.
Useful tips
Tips for novice readers from professionals.
Experiment with speed and styles. For example, read fiction aloud and pronounce the lines of the characters.
For connoisseurs of paper books. If you don’t want to spend money in bookstores, where prices are often sky-high, visit local libraries or buy literature from online stores. Look for great deals, wait for great promotions and buy wisely.
Test the capabilities of your brain until you reach the limit and adjust the normal and acceptable mode for you. It’s all individual, so there can be no universal recommendations here.
Without trying, it is impossible to understand whether the parallel reading technique is suitable for you or not. If this option of intellectual leisure is not yours, then there is no need to continue the torment. Many people prefer to focus on one story, relive it to the last page, and only then begin to get acquainted with a new story.
Students rarely have free time to read additional literature. But you can’t focus on just one direction, because the brain benefits from diversity and switching attention.
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